Tetrahymena
| Tetrahymena | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| Species | ||||||||||||
|
T. hegewischi T. hyperangularis T. malaccensis T. pigmentosa T. pyriformis T. thermophila |
Tetrahymena are ciliate protozoa, common in aquatic habitats. They are pear-shaped and 30-100 μm in length, belonging among the hymenostomes and with cilia typical of that group. Tetrahymena thrive at temperatures of 18-22 degrees Celsius. Because of their short generation time and because they can be grown to high cell density in inexpensive media, they are common subjects of scientific study.